1. Field of The Invention
The invention relates to modularized connector assemblies, especially to an improvement of U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,480. Such improvement includes at least two connector modules to form the whole connector assembly wherein connector modules can exchange their positions with each other.
2. The Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,480 discloses an all-in-one electrical connector having at least a power region and a signal region within a unitary insulative housing for receiving a board-edge device or a board therein. Because more and more functions are requested for the computer, it is naturally required for such all-in-one connector to increase its length for receiving more contacts therein for signal and/or power transmission. Unfortunately, the longer the connector becomes, the more warpage it tends to have along its lengthwise direction. Such warpage precludes the board-edge device or the board from correct insertion into the connector. The present invention discloses a plurality of modules used for forming such all-in-one connector assembly which is substantially of an enormous length for enclosing a large number of contacts therein.
The concept of using plural modular cells for an elongated connector assembly may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,343,528, 4,556,628, 4,596,436, 4,820,169, 5,024,609, 5,057,028, 5,090,911, 5,096,435, 5,125,854, 5,145,411, 5,184,961, 5,169,324 and 5,314,357. Most of the aforementioned prior arts use a securing frame to fasten the corresponding connector modules thereto wherein the adjacent two modules are separated from each other by the partition of the frame therebetween. This fixedly dimensioned structure precludes not only the expansibility or the extendibility of the whole connector assembly, but also the interchangeability of the internal modules.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a flexible modular connector assembly, which allows not only the extendibility or the expansibility of the whole connector assembly along the lengthwise direction, but also the interchangeability of the combined modules with each other.